Freed

We need to experience the peace of God through the challenges we encounter.  God invites us to call upon Him, with an element of giving thanks. Here's what Philippians 4 has to say:
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Trouble can produce anxiety, no doubt.  We can even become fearful about what might happen to us and become full of worry and anxiety.  But, even in our difficulties, we can trust the Lord and call to Him.  And, recognize that one word in the midst of verse 6: thanksgiving.  We can always take time to express thanks to our Lord - He has done so much for us.  He has loved us and brought us into salvation through His Son.  We can depend on Him to sustain us through our deepest struggles.

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In the midst of trouble we may face, still we can express praise and thanksgiving to God - this is a
concept we find in Psalm 28:
6 Blessed be the Lord, Because He has heard the voice of my supplications!
7 The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, And with my song I will praise Him.
8 The Lord is their strength, And He is the saving refuge of His anointed.

Almost 400 years ago, a group of people seeking religious freedom landed on the shores of what is now Massachusetts.  Times were rough in the new world, but God sustained them, and after a season of peril, they celebrated a time of Thanksgiving to Him.

We remember that the Pilgrims were people in search of freedom; we, too, can experience freedom - certainly we want religious freedom, but the most important type of freedom is the spiritual liberty that Jesus Christ offers us: freedom from the power of sin and death and being free to live according to His truth.  That is certainly something for which we can give God thanks during this season of Thanksgiving: salvation in Him!

There is a group of practicing Christians in the African nation of Cameroon who are celebrating their physical freedom these days.  Recently, 80 hostages from a Presbyterian school were released.  Christianity Today reports that:

Just over a week after being captured at gunpoint, the principal, dorm warden, and two remaining students were freed Monday, while the rest of the victims, students ages 11–17, were let go last week, Reuters reported.

The Presbyterian-run boarding school in the region’s capital, Bamenda, has been forced to shut down since the captors threatened further attacks.

The article relates that in the country, there have been around "a dozen" school abductions in the past year, with four in the past two months.  Some 400 civilians have lost their lives, and over 250,000 people have been displaced.  This all comes in the midst of a potential civil war between English- and French-speaking regions, and the French-speaking majority is becoming "increasingly violent."  A recent election has resulted in the long-term leader returning to office and causing unrest among the English-speaking, or Anglophone community.

And, the Church seems to be in the crosshairs.  The article states:

Cameroon’s churches, whose cry for peace has intensified over the past few months, have suffered in the separatist conflict, with four church buildings taken over by military forces and at least 50 Christian-run primary schools, secondary schools, and hospitals affected, according to Gustav Ebai, information and communication secretary for the Council of Protestant Churches of Cameroon.

“We have failed God,” he said in an interview with CT. “There is no evil like the evil I have seen in my country.”

The story quotes Fonki Samuel Forba, moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon (PCC), who stated: “Given what the Anglophone community is passing through at this moment, we cannot really celebrate; feasting and enjoying ourselves while many of God’s children are being killed, living in pains, frustrated and others living as internal and external refugees..."  The article says that Forba...

...advised congregations in the PCC—the largest local English-speaking denomination, with over a million members—to keep observances low-key and to use the occasion to raise awareness about those impacted by the recent violence.

About a hundred PCC pastors have fled the affected regions, and church leaders are ministering to those who have been displaced.  The path to a lasting peace seems very difficult, at this time.

On this day before Thanksgiving, we can remember that even in the midst of turmoil, we can seek the peace of God.  There may be disappointment or despair that has set in, yet, we can continue to give God praise for His faithfulness and love, depending on Him to walk with us through the difficulties we face.

As the Church in Cameroon, reminds us, we can also be sure to minister to our fellow travelers.  There may be those in our own congregations who are facing the holiday season with a sense of loss, or who are currently enduring a trying time.  There are opportunities to share the love of Christ.

We can also celebrate the freedom we have in Christ and in our country.  We recognize the Biblical concepts upon which this nation was founded, and we can thank the Lord for His hand of blessing. But, we also remember those who are not free - fellow Christians, including those in Cameroon, are facing persecution and it's important that we remember them.  While they are certainly free in Christ, they live under the threat of imprisonment and even death.  And, we give God thanks for people like Andrew Brunson and Asia Bibi, who have been set from government oppression.